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Tag: Decorating

It’s been a nostalgic week. After nearly a decade, our parents have packed up our home in the misty KZN Midlands and moved to sun-soaked Umhlanga. Of course, I had to fly back one last time to visit. You know, to touch everything and cry in the garden and carve my name into a wall somewhere. And take photos, of course.

So bear with me while I pay my respects to our beautiful white-and-grey house and endless garden. Whenever I go back I feel like a Pride and Prejudice character (Keira Knightley, obvs). There are fields and forests and orchards to wander around – preferably with a mournful look on one’s face – and a roaring fireplace to curl up next to while watching the mist roll in. (This is also one of the reasons for the move. SO. MUCH. MIST.)

Cape Town is a haven for market lovers. I remember when the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill first opened up years ago, people went a little insane with excitement. (I was one of them). Since then, it seems like there’s a new artisanal market on every corner, offering the very best in organic produce, felt hipster hats and leather goods. Milnerton Market is not one of them.

Not that I don’t love a good felt hipster hat, but sometimes I just wanna go on a damn bargain hunt. Which is when I’ll wake up at 7am on a Saturday, punch this address into my GPS and head off to the only proper fleamarket in this city. Also, I don’t like felt hipster hats. That was a lie.

I’m trying (and failing) to refrain from writing restaurant views on this blog (that’s what Zomato is for, right?) but every now and then, I find myself dining in a place so fantastic that it deserves its own post. Because Pajamas & Jam is SO MUCH MORE than just a restaurant – it’s a florist, an antique store, and pretty much where I want to spend the rest of my life.

From the moment you walk through the door, your senses are overwhelmed by glowing candles, boxes of fresh figs for sale and, of course, the smell of their signature lemon meringue. The place is run by a family of awesome women who know their stuff, and their stuff is good.